The empowered Patriot

   

    The tricolour will fly high once again or shine in their miniature versions on the lapels of our fellow countrymen. Long years ago we truly made a tryst with destiny. And our destiny to this day awaits as a forlorn lover to make good on the word we gave it sixty nine long years ago. Every passing moment we reach out in leaps and bounds in some fields and yet take a beating in the other. Some demoralised, lose themselves to the fate of acceptance. Some react with a hatred towards the system which runs us today. Some simply don't give a damn. And amongst these many 'somes' there are the handpicked few who not just believe but dare to act in the face of adversity. The blame game stops the very moment a person charges right into the niches of action from the sidelines of mediocrity. The faith bundled with a will to make a difference in this ocean where despair reigns high and mighty. Not the unending wait for a messiah to deliver them from the blunders and conspicuous problems that our nation faces today. For once not resign to the rut that awaits you. The routine that threatens to lure you into the confounded luxury coating the underlying slavery we still endure. The chains of security drag us on the misleading illusions of acceptance. 
   No one created wonders by criticising. No one remembers the critic, it is one who decides that his or her actions will make a difference in the long run. The slack attitude the stems from the mob mentality pulling us surely leads to a downfall in the future. There is no entity in this world without its share of problems to deal with. Some are grave, some defeat your morale, some threaten you to smother beneath their weight. Corruption, population explosion, intolerance, poverty, dirty politics, discrimination.. we carry our own baggage full of them. There is no shame in accepting their existence. That is the first step we take in acknowledging that we do care enough to think of making a difference. Changing the system, a complete overhaul are things of fantasy and fiction. But the change begins from the individual. Ultimately what is the nation made of, the individuals who belong to it. Why limit our patriotic hormones to the first mandatory 52 seconds before a movie starts? Why give up on the nation we live in and find an easy way out of it. The day every mouth is fed and every body clothed with a roof above, with a school to learn and mind full unbiased respect for all is the day when we can call ourselves free from the invisible shackles that still hold us down. This is no Utopia. It is a reality which can become a possibility only when each one of us realise that every little step counts on this canvas of bringing about a positive change in the country we live in. 
   There are numerous opportunities around us to contribute. A contribution not necessarily of wealth but of your heart and soul to fulfil the dream we all pine for. Who does not want to live in a country where we all stand proud of the grand heritage we have inherited? An amalgam of every ounce of goodwill from us as individuals, taking the best from the world around and striving for a better day tomorrow. The very moment I type this, or someone reads this write up, there stands a son who swore to protect his motherland, in the most extreme of conditions for us to crib about our needs. Easier said than done when we have our own little problems to take care of. The instalments, the grades and the career path we deem to follow. We as individuals serve a duty to the nation we belong to work in our own ways to make the smallest of differences on our levels. Beginning with a smile to your own self. A citizen of a nation which can take pride to be a part of. There will always be problems if you are on the lookout for them. It just takes a pint of courage to accept and a gallon of goodwill to prove to be worthy of the lives we have been bestowed in peace. Wishing you all a Happy Independence Day.. Jai Hind!!